Autumn's Aura
by x.Auel.Lover.x
Summary: On the streets of Kyoto, Soujiro wanders until he meets a woman. Strong, beautiful, and stubborn. The first time saving someone felt warm and happy. What lays ahead of his road to finding the truth in life?
1. Chapter 1

♥ Chapter One ♥

A gentle warm breeze brushed past his face. As Soujiro strolled along a small road near the river, he smelled the mouth-watering aroma of soba from a nearby family restaurant. He sighed as he realized he doesn't have any money with him. With a small grin he remembered how he always had food while working for Shishio, but those days were over. Besides, a little starvation isn't that bad when a reward of finding the truth in life is waiting to be discovered.

A loud shattering noise followed by a scream woke him from his daydreams. The source of the sound came from the soba restaurant. Outside of the building was four huge men and one woman who was surrounded by them. The shop owner screamed again.

Soujiro instantly ran towards the shop. But something told him to stop as soon as he saw the woman. She had a look in her eyes that told people not to interfere. So Soujiro stayed behind a tree nearby. From here, he could clearly see that the group of men were drunk.

"Hey lady, who do you think you are to call us a bunch of drunk pigs?" one of the four men said as he leaned forward to glare at the woman.

"I say we teach her a lesson not to mess with us again!" the shortest one of the group smirked as he pulled out his sword.

The shop owner once again shrieked and cried "Takara-san! Don't fight them! You'll get killed for sure!"

"Please do not worry Hayashi sensei. These mounds of turd will be reduced to nothing once I'm finished dealing with them," said the woman named Takara. It would seem like a whole lot of arrogance for a woman, but something about her tone of voice told Soujiro she wasn't boasting. Her body shape didn't indicate any signs of a fighter, in fact she looked quite vulnerable, really skinny and slightly shorter than Soujiro. But her facial expression could be understood by anyone that she was not just a weak little girl with too much ego, her deep mysterious eyes had the soul and passion of a true warrior, a look of sorrow and pain scarred her beautiful ivory face, while deep inside the outer shell, there was still warmth. A small candlelight floating in an abyss of darkness.

"You little bitch! You think you can take on all of us? Not only are you annoying you're a an idiot too!" the one who pulled out his sword shouted with much frustration and anger. Now out of patience, he swung his sword directly upon Takara's head. Time seemed to pause as everyone stared with bewilderment at the place where Takara was standing. Soujiro was the first to spot where she was relocated. Up on the roof of the soba restaurant, there she stood, her long black hair following the currents of the wind. She had taken off the piece of cloth that was tied at the her waist of her robe. Inside she was wearing a red vest and gray baggy pants tied below her knees. With immense speed she jumped down on the sword wielder's shoulders, with a loud crack the man was sent flying face first into the dirt and was knocked unconscious. The other three looked shocked and furious, instantly, they all drew their swords. Takara's eyes glinted and she took the piece of cloth and wrapped it tightly around one of their necks. Her knuckles turned white as she pulled with all her strength on the strip of cloth and the man struggled to get oxygen. She finally loosened her grip when she was sure the man was knocked out. Now only two remained.

_Somewhere in those thick head of theirs' they must've devised a plan of some sort_, Soujiro thought to himself as he noticed the two nod to each other.

They charged full speed at the woman but they weren't quick enough. Takara was behind them and elbowed one of them in the head, the guy feel unconscious almost too easily. But that wasn't important, the other man was there throwing attacks at her that were way too easy to block. Things were getting suspicious.

BANG! The sound resulted in dead silence. Everyone stared wide-eyed at the man who supposedly fell unconscious. He was still lying down, but in his right hand, he held a gun still smoking from the shot. The crowd of people and Soujiro all looked to see the direction the gun was pointing. A few gasps and small screams came from the mob of people. Blood pouring from Takara's left arm, her knees gave in from the pain and blood loss. She grinded her teeth to prevent from screaming, her fingers bright crimson, clasping onto the wound.

"Not so tough now are we?" the man standing crouched down until their eyes were level. With a grin he stood back up and aimed his sword directly at her throat. Takara's breath became shallow, her heart beat sped up. The air became heavy with dread.

_Is this the end?_ she asked herself. Takara prepared herself for the pain and waited. Nothing happened. Her tightly shut eyes opened a crack and saw a tall figure in front of her.

"Do you really think this is a polite way to treat a lady?" the boy in front of her said with a smile to the man about to kill her, who now had a stupid, confused look on his face.

"Move out of the way or you'll be killed too kid," the man scowled. Still smiling, the boy pulled out his sword too.

"Then you leave me no choice." His smile faded a little as he positioned his sword. With speed more fast than Takara, he stepped to the side and was behind the still confused man. He turned his sword around and thrust the handle into his spine. A look of surprise and pain struck his face as there was a crunching noise and his eyeballs rolled to the back of his head.

The man with the gun quickly fled the scene and disappeared in the depth of a nearby forest.

Takara forced her legs to move and she stood up.

"Who are you?" she demanded. Stumbling and collapsing again, she looked up at the smiling face of the stranger.

"I am Seta Soujiro, the rurouni," he replied with a sweet smile. Now annoyed, Takara stood up again.

"You didn't have to help me you know! I could've handled them myself…" she said, frustrated. Again he smiled, then apologized for interfering. With a small growl Takara walked unstably into the soba restaurant.

"Takara, your wounds-" the shop keeper lady started.

"I can treat it myself, sensei," she interrupted. Soujiro watched her disappear in the back of the building.

_I was able to protect someone,_ he thought to himself. _I saved someone's life. _Now he understood the happiness of being able to let someone live, instead of killing them.

_Thank you Kenshin… because of you I was able to save this girl…_


	2. Chapter 2

**Yeah, so, I just moved, and I didn't have my computer for a month, that's why this chapter is late... and crappy. I just got internet back this morning, and rushed to get this chapter finished, so it's really low quality and such. Please read and review.**

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♥ Chapter Two ♥

"Coming!" called Takara. The soba restaurant was quite crowded today. Sounds of laughter, chatting, and beef sizzling in the kitchen filled the warm air of this very fine October day. She brought the bowl of freshly made soba to a hungry customer eagerly waiting for his meal.

"Takara, you've been working really hard, and your wound still hasn't healed yet, please don't push yourself too hard," said Hayashi Izumi, the shopkeeper, with a worried look on her face. Takara nodded and assured the short middle-aged woman that she was in perfect health and the wound made by the bullet on her arm a few days ago doesn't hurt anymore. With the shopkeeper reassured, Takara climbed the stairs up to her room. Once she closed the door, a sigh of relief escaped her lips. To tell the truth, the wound hadn't healed at all, it still bled often, and though she said it doesn't hurt, the pain is there, a scorching pain like a white hot knife digging into her flesh.

_But I cannot tell Hayashi-sensei. I cannot worry her! _Takara said to herself. A few minutes passed and she was still standing in the awkward silence of her room, with nothing but the company of a small cricket chirping on her windowsill. Now bored, Takara stared at the brown insect the size of her pinky, singing its heart out. She wondered how something so small could make such a racket. Before Takara could get carried away any more with her boredom, the cricket leaped off the windowsill. Wondering if it could survive jumping from this height, she looked out the window to find herself staring at the huge willow that was in between the soba restaurant and a small river. Takara had completely forgotten about her favorite tree in the whole world. And it wasn't her favorite just because of its beauty, it was a symbol of remembrance, and love.

_Take good care of it, my little treasure…_

The last words of her beloved father. He was a gardener and was very close to nature. Takara had spent most of her time working with her father in the garden. Together, they had made their small village on the edge of Japan full of color. Everywhere you look, beautiful trees and flowers decorated houses, roads, fields; every single space was filled with colorful plants. Ever since Takara's mother had passed away, both father and daughter had taken up the hobby of gardening, for that was the last wish of Sasaki Nami, who always wanted to make their village more bright and colorful. The two remaining members of the Sasaki family worked hard to fulfill that wish, and over the years, the dull village became one of the most beautiful places of that time. It was such a happy time, for Takara and her father, and all the villagers. But that happiness didn't last. One day, an army of men riding horses invaded their village. The government had ordered that the village must be destroyed. It was that day that the beauty of the place was wiped away, the last wish of Nami destroyed. It was that day Takara saw her own father get murdered right before her eyes, the day the village got burnt to the ground. The flames surrounded her and her father, right before he died, he put something in Takara's palm. A seed. A willow seed. It was from tree the whole Sasaki family had planted a long time ago, Takara and her father had used it as a symbol of remembrance for Nami. Tears streaming down her face, Takara ran from the village, the seed still in her hand. She ran and ran, many times there was thieves and serial murderers at night who had attempted to kill her. She had learned to be swift and take them by surprise from behind, first grabbing their sword then killing them from behind. It was then that she had learned that to live, another must die, and only the strong live. A month of hell had passed, she was on the verge of death, when she had wandered onto the streets of Kyoto. When Takara could not walk any further, she collapsed in front of the soba restaurant owned by Hayashi Izumi. The shopkeeper saw the little girl lying there, and instantly brought her into the building and nursed her back to health. When she first saw Takara, her eyes were dark with hate and pain, to Takara, it seemed like the end of the world. But once again, Takara was able to love and care, Hayashi Izumi had treated Takara like she was her daughter.

Takara looked back at the willow tree that the only one who cares for her had helped her plant 8 years ago. Back then, the little 10 year old girl had considered the soon to be tree a symbol of remembrance, and that her two parents spirits are within the tree. Even now, Takara could still feel their presence, always near her.

Every morning, Takara would train her agility, now not for being strong to survive, but to protect Izumi.

A splashing noise distracted her from her thoughts. She jumped out the window and climbed the willow to see where the sound came from. There, in the river, was the boy from a few days ago. He stood in the river, intently watching the rushing water, then with a loud splash he pounced on a fish. Takara climbed back down the tree and stared at the completely soaked Soujiro holding a squirming fish in his hand.

"What are you doing?" The question startled him so much he dropped his fish. Unaware someone was watching him, Soujiro turned around to see the girl he met a few days ago.

"Well, I've got to eat something, and I haven't got any money with me," replied Soujiro with a nervous smile.

"Geez, you could've just asked! I'll persuade the cook to make something for you, now come on!" said Takara, gesturing Soujiro to follow. Surprised by Takara's sudden burst of generosity, Soujiro wrung out his clothes a bit and followed her back to the soba restaurant.

While Soujiro wolfed down the meal the head chef had made for him, Takara sat there fidgeting with a strand of her long black hair.

"About the other day, I'm sorry I yelled at you, its just that I'm not used to being saved by others…" Takara apologized with an embarrassed look on her face.

"That's okay, I was just doing what I thought was right," said Soujiro as he finished the last of his meal and smiled. He stood up and bowed. "I'll be going now, thanks for the food!"

"Going? Going where?" asked the confused Takara as she stood up too.

"Back to wandering of course, I am on a journey to find something," said Soujiro, already headed out the front door of the restaurant.

"What! But you just got here! At least stay for a while!" exclaimed Takara, running after Soujiro.

"I'm sorry, but I really can't stay," Soujiro said without looking back and sped up his pace. Takara watched his figure disappear into the sunset, she couldn't help but feel sad.

"You're not getting away that easily…" she whispered to herself.


End file.
